See CSN’s film about different grants and loans

Study allowance

If you are studying at the upper secondary level you are eligible for a study allowance until the spring term of the year in which you turn 20. A study allowance is made up of various grants, such as a study grant, and supplementary allowances.

You can apply for the study grant when you have turned 16 and you are studying in upper secondary school. You have to be studying full time.

Supplementary allowances are grants that you can apply for if your family has a low income. If you are under 18 years old and you arrived in Sweden without your parents, it is your income that is considered.

If you play truant (stay away from classes) you will not be eligible for the grants. CSN will stop payments to you, and you may also have to pay back money. Other grants that you and your family receive may also be affected, such as housing allowances and child allowance supplements from Försäkringskassan.

Student aid

You can apply for student aid from 1 July of the year in which you turn 20. If you are going to study in post-upper secondary education (at university, for example) you can apply for student aid even if you are younger than 20.

Student aid consists of grants and study loans. You don't have to borrow money – you can choose to apply only for the grant if you want to. You have to fulfil certain conditions in order to be eligible for student aid. One of these is that part-time studies have to be at least at 50%.

If you have custody of children, you can apply for extra grants. This is known as an extra child allowance.

If you borrow money you have to pay it back. You have to pay back the money even if you move away from Sweden. How much you have to pay, and for how long, depends on how much you borrowed and what the interest rate is, among other things.

Education entry grant

Have you been unemployed for a long time, and need an upper secondary certificate in order to get a job? If so you may be eligible for an education entry grant. This is grant that you can receive for about a year in order to study in municipal adult education or at a folk high school. To be eligible for an education entry grant you have to be full-time unemployed and be between 25 and 56 years old. There are also other conditions that you have to fulfil.

You apply for an education entry grant in the municipality where you live. Your case officer at Arbetsförmedlingen or the municipality will be able to tell you who to contact.